Originally Posted by
Aushiker
...My question is to which v-brake to marry them to. From what I have read the
Tektro 857AL has been the recommend v-brake in the past in part because of the mudguard clearance (I have mudguards on the Surly). Is this still the best option?
Also I assume that with the levers and v-brakes there are no other components required for a retro fit?
Any V brake that will provide adequate tire and fender clearance will work with the "long pull" levers.
I have used the 857ALs for a few years now. They work pretty good, especially with Kool Stop pads. These brakes do indeed have excellent mudguard clearance, due to the long (110mm) arms. They're also a little heavier due to longer arms. The longer arms tend to bend more simply due to leverage and their length. They have a less firm feel under hard braking, which you'll be aware of only if you've ridden conventional shorter-arm, stronger brakes for a long period before the 857ALs on the same bike. Understand I'm being a little critical here, these are still good brakes. Pretty nice looking too for cheap Tektros.
You may not need the extra clearance of Tektro 857AL brakes unless you're riding the largest tires the LHT will take. 857ALs will clear my LHT's 26x2.0s with 65mm fenders and a decent safety gap between fender and tire.
Your link indicates you run 700x38. If your fenders are sized appropriately and mounted without a huge gap, you could get by with a lighter and perhaps better performing brake. While there are many to choose from, my own experience is limited to Shimano and Avid V brakes. I can recommend Avid SD7s brakes without reservation. They are lightweight, strong, reliable, brake well, come with good pads, and generally cost less than Shimano. SD7s have 103mm arms and will actually clear my LHT fenders/tire, but they did rub lightly on the fender near the center where the noodle is attached, which is why I eventually switched to Tektro, but I really could have just left them alone. Avid SD7s should completely clear 700x38s and 50mm fenders, and I recommend them over Tektro 857ALs unless you intend to run maximum tires and fenders.
You need only long-pull levers, V brakes and cable+housing to convert from cantilever to linear pull V brakes.
http://www.sram.com/avid/products/si...it-7-rim-brake
PS IIRC it was you who advised of Wiggle.co.uk's shopping cart currency conversion rip-off. You are right, all conversions seem to go in their favor. Better to buy in GBP and rely on banks to make accurate conversion. The error from GBP to USD is >9% in their favor. That's some sneaky crap from the UK's largest bike shop.